A 49-acre patch of land bordering the Arcata Community Forest will now formally be part of the forest after Arcata completed a $625,000 purchase of the area.

Idaho resident Cynthia Forsyth had owned the property. Because of its proximity to the main forest, the city had held a strategic interest in the area for more than 25 years.

Securing the land will ensure that the public never loses access to the stretch of redwood trees, or that it won’t be converted for any other kind of use.

“Acquiring this property ensures a continuous connection between Humboldt State University and the Community Forest, and it opens up more public recreation space for the community to enjoy,” said city manager Karen Diemer in a release.

The purchase didn’t come out of the city’s own money. Numerous grants contributed to the hefty purchase. Locally, the Humboldt Area Foundation’s Arcata forest fund played a small but important role in making the acquisition possible.

“It was modest grant funding, but it’s super important for us to use that as leverage for other state and federal funding sources,” said Mark André, the city’s director of environmental services.

Patrick Cleary, the foundation’s executive director, agreed. That’s what the foundation is around to do, he said.

“When you look at the map you can see how perfectly those 49 acres fit into the rest of the forest,” Clery said. “We’re happy to be a part of it.”

Once larger organizations like Cal Fire and the California State Parks noticed the existence of local financial support, they were more inclined to contribute grants, André explained.